A traitor?!
Ailiya wasn't clever, but she wasn't a fool either.
She quickly understood what Masha and the others had left unsaid.
Someone among them must have tipped off the Demon Race. That was the only way the demons could have found them so precisely.
And worse...
Thinking back now,
she had come to the Misty Marsh because Powell had said the Seven-Colored Ganoderma could ease her father's suffering.
When Masha and the others had suggested leaving, Powell had been the one who agreed they should press deeper into the marsh.
Even after Su Ye appeared, when she wanted to return to the Rendezvous Point with him, Powell had sent one of his men to guide Su Ye while the rest of them kept searching for the Seven-Colored Ganoderma.
Looking back with suspicion, everything Powell had done seemed designed to lead her deeper into the marsh and farther from anyone strong enough to help.
If there was a traitor in their group,
Powell was the likeliest one.
But...
"Why would it be Uncle Powell?"
Ailiya's face went deathly pale.
Uncle Powell had watched her grow up.
Her father was busy with affairs of state. Much of the time, Uncle Powell had looked after her.
He had watched her play, guided her training, cleaned up the messes she made, and pleaded with her father on her behalf.
To Ailiya, Uncle Powell was like a second father.
But...
She looked at Powell.
"Uncle Powell... was it really you?"
Powell fell silent.
He glanced at the blade in Su Ye's hand, then at the disbelief in Ailiya's eyes. Suddenly, he smiled.
It was a bitter smile.
"As I thought... you can't hide anything from someone truly strong."
He sighed and looked at Su Ye.
"How did you figure it out?"
"Instinct."
Su Ye's